Yeast Raised Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes | #BreadBakers

I kept my head down for #BreadBakers the last couple of months when the themes were whole grain. Even though the vast majority of the bread we eat around here is whole grain, the theme just didn’t speak to me. But when my pal Anshie of SpiceRoots chose the theme “Griddle Breads” for this month, it was on.

My initial idea was to make crumpets, but then I started thinking about pancakes. There’s not much more satisfying than a stack of pancakes. I decided to stretch myself and make yeast-raised pancakes. Yeast raised chocolate chocolate chip pancakes, to be exact. So I did, and I am so glad I did because I am here to tell you:

Yeast raised chocolate chocolate chip pancakes are delightful!

The whole process did not necessarily run smoothly (you can check out some of the behind the scenes action through about 5pm today, 2/9/16, on SnapChat. I’m PastryChfOnline over there). It took me a good 4-5 pancakes to get the heat regulated and to get my chip-adding process down. Here’s how I finally made it work.

Evenly distribute 8-10 chocolate chips across the surface of the pancake, staying at least 1/2″ from the edges all the way around.

Grab a bit more batter in a tablespoon and drip just enough batter on each chip to cover it.

Wait until the pancakes are set all along the edges and about 1/4″ in from the edge all the way around, about 2-3 minutes.

Carefully flip once and cook for 1-1 1/2 minutes.

Why didn’t I just mix the chips into the batter? I shall tell you why:

The chips would all sink, making it nearly impossible to get the same amount of chips in each pancake.

The chips sort of clump together, so it’s hard to get an even distribution for chocolate chip goodness in every bite.

The batter doesn’t pour out into perfectly round pancakes when the chips are in it.

So, while it sounds a bit fussy to do it my way, it results in really pretty, beautifully shaped pancakes with a nice even distribution of chips. You’ll want to make these, seriously. They’re not too sweet, plenty chocolate-y with a pleasant, slightly chewy texture that sort of reminded The Beloved and me of injera. And with the coffee maple syrup I made, they’re pretty much perfect. You can guild the lily with whipped cream, sprinkles, more chocolate chips on top–even a scoop of ice cream, but I ask that you don’t, at least for a couple of bites. You’ll love the flavor.

Stay tuned after my recipe for all the great griddle breads this month.

And now, here’s how to make yeast raised chocolate chocolate chip pancakes.

4.25 from 4 votes

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Yeast Raised Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes | #BreadBakers

Prep Time

10mins

Cook Time

5mins

Total Time

15mins

These rich yeast raised chocolate chocolate chip pancakes are not too sweet and intensely flavored. They make a very adult brunch item when paired with the coffee maple syrup.

Course:
Griddle Bread

Servings: 124" pancakes

Author: onlinepastrychef

What You'll Need

For the Batter

6.75ozall purpose flour

1.25ozcocoa powder

3/4teaspoonfine sea salt

1 1/2teaspoonsactive dry yeast

4Tablespoonsbrown sugar, packed

8ozwhole milk, barely warm

8ozwater, barely warm

3Tablespoonsmelted butter

1large egg, beaten

1 1/2teaspoonsvanilla extract

To Cook

softened butter

semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the Syrup

1cupreal maple syrup, cold from the fridge

3Tablespoonscool butter

1teaspoonespresso powder(more if you like)

1teaspoonvanilla extract

1/8-1/4teaspoonfine sea salt

What To Do

For the Batter

In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk all the dry ingredients together.

In another bowl, thoroughly whisk all the wet ingredients together.

Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and whisk very well until you have a smooth batter.

Cover and set in a warm place to rise until about doubled, an hour or so. The batter will increase in volume and become very light and bubbly.

To Cook

When the batter is ready, preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat for a good ten minutes or so.

Smear a small amount of butter over the cooking surface (I used a wadded up paper towel) and then pour in 1/4 cup of batter.

Allow to cook for 30 seconds or so and then evenly distribute 8-10 chips over the surface, staying at least 1/2" away from the edges of the pancake.

With a measuring spoon, scoop up another teaspoon or teaspoon and a half of batter and drip it on top of each chip to cover them. It seems fussy, but this is the best way to get an even distribution of chips, lovely round pancakes and no burned chocolate.

Let the pancake cook until set up to about 1/4" in from the edge, a total of about 3-4 minutes.

Flip carefully and allow to cook an additional 1-1 1/2 minutes until done. Place on the prepared rack in the oven to keep warm.

Wipe out the pan, add another small smear of butter, and repeat with the rest of the batter. If you have a preferred pancake griddle, by all means use that instead.

For the Syrup

Place the maple syrup, butter, espresso powder, vanilla and salt into your blender jar and blend on high speed until thickened and well-emulsified. If you have a high-speed blender, this should also warm the syrup to about room temperature. Don't start with warm syrup or melted butter or it will be harder to form an emulsion.

Serve the pancakes hot with syrup and enjoy.

Recipe Notes

The yield is approximate.

Cook time is of course for one pancake. I only cooked one at a time since I was trying to figure out the best way to do it. If you're fancy and there is enough room in your pan, you can make 2-3 at a time.

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

Hi, friends! I'm Jenni, and I used to be a kitchen novice who knew next to nothing about cooking and baking and was afraid to stray from recipes. Over the years, I've learned a lot about how ingredients work, how to combine them to achieve the results I'm looking for (whether in cooking or baking), and how to generalize cooking techniques across recipes. I'm here to teach you everything I've learned to help you be fearless in your kitchen.

If you're new to Pastry Chef Online, this page is a great place to start to get the lay of the land!

Oh Jenni, I am so happy that you joined in this month. THESE pan cakes are SEXY. I mean Tall, Dark Handsome, Smooth, Rich kid of sexy. Love the photos and I am going to snapchat you when I make these.. XO

Super gorgeous looking pancakes Jennifer!! I was waiting for your post ever since you had mentioned about the change of title on the breadbakers group! These pancakes are every child’s dream come true and I bet my kids are going to love these!!

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Welcome! I'm Jenni, and I want to help you find your fearlessness in the kitchen so you can cook and bake with confidence. It took me years to find my kitchen cool, and I'm sharing my best tips and tricks so you can go from fearful to fearless in no time! Read more about me here.

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About Me!

For years, I was a fearful cook and baker--like sweaty-neck fearful.

After years of reading cookbooks, watching cooking and baking shows, and experimenting in the kitchen, I left a 16-year special education career to attend culinary school. I landed in a wonderful fine dining restaurant in Winter Park, Florida, where everyone was fearless, playing with their food on a daily basis. It was always, "I wonder what would happen if we..." and then we'd try it and find out. By the time chef handed me a 6th pan of horseradish broth and asked me to turn it into a sorbet for an appetizer, I knew my fearful days were totally behind me!

I started this site to help people overcome kitchen anxiety and paralysis through teaching basic pastry methods and techniques necessary to be able to bake and cook with confidence. Over the years, I have added hundreds of recipes to complement my technique posts. Please use this site as the resource I have built it to be, and feel free to contact me anytime. I'm happy to help you on your journey to being fearless in the kitchen!

If you're new to Pastry Chef Online, this page is a great place to start to get the lay of the land!